himself, were founded in 1118. Their primary responsibility, at least

initially, was to provide protection to Christians making pilgrimages to the

Holy Land. They rose in power, both religious and secular, to become one of

the richest and most powerful entities in Christendom. By the time of their

disbandment in 1307, this highly secretive organization controlled vast

wealth, a fleet of merchant ships, and castles and estates spanning the

When the crusaders captured Jerusalem from the Muslims in 1099, the Church

encouraged all faithful Christians to visit that holy city in order to

affirm their faith. The area, however, was still subject to sporadic attacks

from various non-Christian factions. A small group of knights, led by Hugh

de Payens, vowed to protect the pilgrims. The group was granted

quasi-official status by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, who allowed them

quarters in a wing of the royal palace near the Temple of Solomon. It is

from this initial posting that the order derived its name. They took the

standard vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and were bound to the rules

Even Philip's lawyer admitted "perhaps not all of them had sinned." It took

arrival at Clairvaux, the two knights presented Bernard with Baldwin's

themselves involved in many aspects of secular life. They established the

work, you have changed yourself from count to knight and from rich to poor,

In the year 1126, King Baldwin found two reasons for wanting official

Some common words found in the essay are:
Knights Templar, Holy Land, Clairvaux Bernard, Baalbek Syria, God Vicar, Burgundian Hugh, Master Mason, Bernard Clairvaux, Templars Hospitallers, Philip Fair, holy land, knights templar, rule templars, de payens, king baldwin, york dorset, merchant ships, grand master, hugh de payens, hugh de, fleet merchant ships, captured march, captured march amanus, natural barrier city,
Approximate Word count = 2545
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)